Beauty Product Fails! (For me at least...)

Hey y'all! I'm back with another post. Have you ever been really excited to try a beauty product and been disappointed in its performance once you finally got it? Chances are you have. It may not be that the product is a fail overall, but you just know that is isn't for you. In this post I'll talk about four beauty products that I was really excited about initially but less than pleased with once I finally bought and was able to use them. Every product isn't for everybody. Thank goodness we have such a vast variety of beauty products to choose from ;). This isn't a review, just my general feelings on these four products. As a disclaimer (though it's probably not needed), every product I review has been purchased with my own money, not sponsored.

1. Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer (with SPF 15) - This is the greasiest feeling moisturizer I've ever used. Even underneath the best mattifying primer, this stuff makes my skin so oily and slides my foundation and concealer all over the place. This type of formula may work well with dry skin or combination skin, but it's horrible with my super oily skin. I will not buy this product again unless they change the formula.

2. Wet n Wild Megalength Mascara - The only thing this mascara lengthened was the time it took for me to put on my mascara. It separates lashes very well and doesn't clump, but it doesn't lengthen my lashes at all.

3. Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Under Eye Concealer - The color is perfect, but this concealer creases like nobody's business, regardless of what I set it with or how well I blend it. I have fine lines underneath my eyes, and the concealer settles in and then disappears a few hours later. I've tried setting this concealer every way I know how, but to no avail.

4. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream - All I can say about this product is "ugh". I initially tried it out over a year ago and gave it a decent review, but the more time passed the less I liked it. If you have oily skin, I do not recommend this BB cream. I've set it with every mattifying powder that I own and also have used mattifying primer before putting it on, but it still turns into an oily, oxidized mess. For those who aren't familiar with the term, oxidation is when your makeup changes to a reddish, orange, or yellow (for fairer skinned women) color on your skin due to chemical reactions from being on your skin.



If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Combating Smelly Winter Feet

If you live in a cold region, chances are you wear lots of layers, socks, and insulated shoes in the winter time. This can cause sweaty feet, and sweaty feet usually end up turning into stinky feet! Foot Sprays are a good option, but can be costly depending on the brand and where you purchase them. A cheaper option is to use a combination of roll on deodorant and baby powder. The cheapest roll on deodorant I've seen was $1.50, and travel size baby powder is usually no more than $0.99. Here's how to do it, step by step.

1. Put a light coating of baby powder in the bottom of your shoes.
2. Before putting on socks, roll a layer of the deodorant onto the bottom of your foot.
3. Allow deodorant to dry for 30-45 seconds, slip on your socks and shoes, and you're ready to go!

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. If you have any budget beauty products you would like me to review, please feel free to contact me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

NYX Shine Killer Review

Hey all, Happy February! As promised, I'm here with the review for one of the new products I've been testing out. The product I'm posting about is the NYX Shine Killer. I first saw this product in Target when I was picking up some Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets (on sale!) and I wanted to give it a shot since I was running out of the primers that I usually use. As someone with extremely oily skin, I don't normally have high expectations of primers. Even with the best of primers I still have to carry oil blotting sheets and mattifying face powder with me everywhere. I was pleasantly surprised with this product. It's a little on the pricey side (I'll put the price in the review below), but I think it's worth it if you struggle with trying to keep your skin matte. I will say this though as a word of advice, if you have oily skin, all face products you use, from your cleanser to your moisturizer to your foundation, need to be geared toward the specific needs of your skin. This means that they need to be oil-free and products specifically formulated for and to combat oily skin. This will help with your shine control goals. Ok, I've rambled on enough...sorry. Here is the review, hope it helps!

1. NYX Shine Killer (0.67 fl oz.), $12.99 (Target)

Site Description: "Your ultimate weapon in the war on shine. Smooth it on before your favorite foundation for a fresh, flawless, marvelously matte look that lasts and lasts. Wear it solo, too, for a naturally shine-free look."

Pros: No smell, light weight, controls shine very well, can be applied over makeup as well
Cons: Expensive, not a lot of product for price, still must use oil-blotting sheets after 8-9 hours of wear

Overall: I genuinely like this product. I was displeased with the price initially, because I'm super cheap, but I must say that so far I have been pleased with the product. A little bit goes a long way, you don't need to use tons to get the desired result. I have worn it under makeup, over makeup, and by itself, and each way has worked pretty well in terms of shine control. There's no offensive smell, it's clear and doesn't leave a whitish tint like several other oil-control primers that I've used (maybe due to powder particles in them) and it's light on my skin. It also doesn't settle into my fine lines, which I love. Like most products, it doesn't last all day. After about 8-9 hours a bit of shine starts to seep through and I have to use oil-blotting sheets, but so far it is the longest lasting oil control product I've used. The only thing I still don't like is the price, but it's worth it to have help with oily skin. I rate this product an 8.5 out of 10. 

If you decide to try this product out, please let me know how it works out for you! If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Aveeno Clear Complexion Cream Cleanser and Daily Moisturizer Review

Hey all! I'm back with a review of 2 of the new products I have tried out in the past month. About two weeks ago, I posted on my Instagram that I was going to try out the new Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleanser and Moisturizer and do a review, so here it is! I usually wait until I've been using a product for about 2 weeks before I do a review, and it's just shy of a day so I think it's appropriate to do so now. I purchased them in a set for $6.00 at Walmart (which is an awesome deal considering the individual prices which I will list below). In the review of each product I will list the price, pros and cons, overall opinion, and rate it between 1-10 (1 = completely awful, 10 = completely awesome!). Just as a disclaimer, I purchased all the products I have reviewed thus far with my own money. I was not sent any products to review or sponsored by the companies. Hope you will find this helpful!

1. Aveeno Clear Complexion Cream Cleanser (5 oz.), $6.99 (Aveeno.com)

Site Description: "This creamy cleanser gently exfoliates while helping treat and prevent blemishes and breakouts with salicylic acid, a proven acne fighting ingredient, without overdrying. The ACTIVE NATURALS® moisture-rich soy formula helps visibly improve skin tone and texture, for healthier-looking skin. Oil free, hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic and gentle enough to use every day."

Pros: Light, non-offensive smell, exfoliates gently, softens skin

Cons: Doesn't completely clean face, does not remove dark spots/blemishes

Overall: Eh, I must say I'm underwhelmed by this cleanser. When I read the description, I was under the impression that it would be more of a cream, but the texture is more true to that of a product that is exclusively an exfoliant. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the name "Cream Cleanser" is a bit misleading in my opinion. This product also does NOT completely clean your face, especially if you're washing makeup off. I found that I had to run a washcloth over my skin to completely remove the makeup from my face when washing it with this product, which has usually not been the case with any other cream cleanser I've used of any other brand. I have noticed that it has prevented new blemishes from popping up, but as far as my old blemishes are concerned, they have not lightened or improved in any way. The texture of my skin has improved, and I have not had to use a separate exfoliant due to the exfoliating properties of this cleanser, so that is convenient. I give this product a 5 out of 10. 

2. Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer (4 fl oz.), $16.99 (Aveeno.com)

Site Description: "This unique, skin-nourishing daily moisturizer harnesses the power of ACTIVE NATURALS® Total Soy Complex and salicylic acid to help clear up blemishes and improve the health of your complexion. This oil-free formula, with a proven acne-fighting ingredient, clears and helps prevent breakouts, and helps even out skin tone. Oil free, hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic, and gentle enough to use every day."

Pros: Helps control oily skin, does not clog pores, assists in preventing new breakouts

Cons: VERY strong and lingering smell, can feel heavy on skin, does not contain any SPF to prevent premature aging and darkening of blemishes

Overall: I have a love/hate relationship with this moisturizer. The smell is strong, entirely too strong. My nose wrinkles before I even get the stuff onto my face. Also, considering the fact that it is supposed to help clear blemishes, I would think that it would contain at least SPF 15 (which prevents darkening of blemishes and hyperpigmentation due to sun exposure), but I digress. The moisturizer also "sits" on the skin, meaning that when I wash it off of my face at night, I smell it. I also have not noticed any lightening of the blemishes that I already have, but new ones have been prevented. It has also helped greatly with controlling my oily skin (along with NYX's Shine Killer which I will discuss in another post) and I absolutely love that. I have also noticed that it is helping prevent new breakouts, which is a great thing. The amount of pros and cons are the same, hence, the love/hate relationship. However, due to the fact that it is helping with breakouts and oil control, I rate this product a 6 out of 10.

That's all! Hope that I didn't ramble on too much, but I wanted to be thorough in my explanation and opinion of the products. If you try them out, please feel free to let me know if they worked better for you than for me! If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

3 Small Tips for Organizing Your Makeup

Ok, so if you're a makeup enthusiast like me, it's likely that you have quite a bit of makeup. Even if you don't have a ton, if you wear makeup you're likely to need to organize your collection. Why is this so important? In order to make the most out of the time you have to spend doing your makeup, it's good to have everything in a place where you can get to it easily, so that you don't spend more time searching for the products that you need than actually doing your makeup. Here are a few quick tips that I use to keep my collection of makeup and beauty products in order! 

1. Separate the products according to what you use them for. For example, foundation primers together, eye products together, lip products together, blushes together, etc.

2. Put your items in either clear bags where you can see them or in bags that enable you to easily identify what is in the bag. For example, the bag that holds all my lip products has lipstick and lips on it...simple right?

3. If you have small eyeshadow palettes, put them all together in a bag. This way, they will all be readily available if you decide to use them. 

Good luck getting organized! If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Let's Talk: Brown Women and "Ashy" Lipstick

Hey all! This is the first installment in a new series I want to start called "Let's Talk" where I address makeup issues, whether it's application, colors, or even products, and tips on how to fix it! The very first issue I want to address is one that has been weighing on my spirit for a while. As you can see from the title, it is the "ashy" lipstick look on black women. Some of our sisters that are not of color may be unaware of this issue, so before getting into it, let's talk about the cause. Black women, especially my darker skinned sisters, pale, frosty lipsticks are not our friends. Shimmery = yes, glittery = YES honey, Frosty = NO MA'AM. Here are a few examples of frosty lipsticks below.

Now, just looking at these colors, you can see why they would be a problem for darker skinned women. Not convinced? Look at this...

It's not exactly the most flattering color. With a less frost and a little more warmth, this color would have been awesome. Many of us have been guilty of wearing "ashy" looking lip colors from time to time, it's a part of the makeup learning experience, especially for those of us with darker skin looking at makeup colors called "nude" that are the color of the palms of our hands instead of the back of them. So the next question is, how do we choose complexion appropriate nudes? Well first, if you're a darker skinned, black woman, DO NOT buy lipsticks that say "Nude" anything. That is the nude shade of our fairer skinned sisters, and it's not even suitable for all of them. Here are my personal tips for choosing the best nude and neutral shades for your complexion.

1. Learn your undertones, and choose colors accordingly. Are they yellow or red? Cool, warm, or neutral?

2. Choose colors that are close in color to the concealer that you wear.

3. Avoid frosty shades of brown like the plague.

4. The internet is your friend! There are tons of helpful YouTube videos by awesome beauty gurus on how to choose the right nude for you.

5. Ask around! If you see a woman close to your complexion with a lovely nude or neutral color, don't be shy or afraid to ask her the brand and where she got it.

6. Buy a plum colored lip liner to mix with colors that may be a shade too light, it will help darken the color and enable you to make it work!

7. If all else fails, use your concealer and a gloss. It's effective and nearly foolproof.

My chocolate sisters, let's please stop with the poorly chosen, frosty nude lipsticks. There are many appropriate nude and neutral shades for us, it's just a matter of learning how to pick them to avoid looking like Tyrone Biggums (from a comedy sketch of Dave Chapelle) ;). Good luck!

The Importance of NOT Sleeping in Makeup (And Changing Your Pillowcase...)

Let's admit it, most of us have fallen asleep a time or two in our makeup, right? What are the effects on your skin the next day? I've heard, and personally experienced, everything from complaints of trigger happy sebaceous glands to breakouts to rashes. The skin is the biggest organ that the body has. That's right, your skin is an organ. It functions in covering the other important organs and organ systems in the body to prevent them receiving from external damage and also from the bacteria, viruses, and pollutants found in the air and on surfaces that the skin touches. Despite the beauty and wonderful effects of makeup, it is a foreign substance to the skin. There are some makeup items that can aid in improving our complexion, preventing breakouts, etc., but aside from those, we're placing essentially foreign substances onto our skin. Throughout the day, our skin is accosted with all sorts of problematic bacteria, fungi, and pollutants. In addition to that, those of us with oily skin fight with our sebaceous glands throughout the day. Those of us who don't have oily skin are faced with sweat beading and sitting on our faces, especially during the summer months.These issues, in addition to the makeup on our skin can be breeding ground for problems ranging from breakouts due to bacteria, to clogged pores, to premature aging! It's also important to change your pillowcase. I recommend changing your pillowcase (or pillowcases) at least ONCE a week. As lovely and soft as our sheets may feel, they hold onto everything that sits on top of our skin. Imagine if someone is sleeping in their makeup AND not changing pillowcases frequently! Two of the many blessings of skin are its resilience and regenerative qualities; however, it's best to avoid causing problems in the ways that we can. Our skin is a precious, beautiful organ, take care of it well! I leave you with this, the British woman in the picture below slept in her makeup for a month, and these are the results. Do you REALLY want your skin to look like this? Love you all, and Happy Holidays!

Source: Daily Mail UK
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2380419/What-sleeping-make-does-skin-Our-shocking-experiment-exposes-happens.html